FirstLight Power, DHD developing clean energy assets to support hydropower

Cabot station

FirstLight Power has partnered with Davis Hill Development (DHD) to develop solar, energy storage and hybrid assets in Connecticut that will operate both independently and in coordination with FirstLight’s fleet of hydropower assets.

According to a press release, the partnership will bring a “new generation of hybrid renewable energy resources” to serve New England’s grid

FirstLight’s portfolio in New England includes nearly 1,400 MW of pumped hydro storage, battery storage, hydroelectric generation and solar generation. With this partnership, the company seeks to deliver even greater clean energy impact toward the state’s goal of achieving a 100% zero-carbon electric sector by 2040.

FirstLight anticipates that the venture will deliver more than 25 MW of solar and battery storage projects across eight of its existing Connecticut properties along the Housatonic, Shetucket and Quinebaug rivers. One example is the company’s 43 MW Shepaug hydroelectric generation station on the Housatonic River. The new assets will bring flexibility to FirstLight’s hydropower portfolio in Connecticut, allowing renewable energy to be stored when demand is low and provided back to the grid when the power is needed most, FirstLight said. The resulting portfolio will improve system reliability and flexibility while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

“I am excited to be expanding FirstLight’s clean energy footprint in Connecticut and furthering both the state’s ambitious clean energy goals, and our company’s mission of creating an electric grid that is clean, affordable, reliable and equitable,” said Alicia Barton, president and chief executive officer of FirstLight. “We are proud to be partnering with DHD, a proven developer of innovative renewable projects, to deliver a new generation of hybrid and storage-integrated clean energy resources to power the Nutmeg State.”

DHD and its parent company Skyview Ventures owns and operates over 300 distributed energy projects across a dozen markets in the U.S.

wind turbines in front of an orange sunset

Renewables permitting has been ‘paralyzed’ by Trump – This Week in Cleantech

This Week in Cleantech is a weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15 minutes or less.

Redefining microgrids: A vision for dynamic grid control

Erik Amundson, vice president of microgrid engineering and chief technology officer at OATI, provided insights into the evolving role of microgrids during the OATI Energy…